Cisco teams up with Microsoft and Samsung to improve hybrid meeting experiences

Cisco announced a new partnership with Microsoft and Samsung aiming to enhance collaboration capabilities for hybrid meetings. The companies are introducing integrated video conferencing solutions pairing Cisco’s Room series hardware with Microsoft Teams Rooms software and Samsung’s displays to provide an more inclusive experience for both remote participants as well as those physically present.

With hybrid work becoming the norm, nearly all meetings now include at least one remote attendee yet most conference rooms lack even basic video conferencing capabilities. Cisco is hoping this collaboration with tech giants Microsoft and Samsung will allow it to deploy robust, secure and easy to manage solutions at scale.

Specifically, the new offerings combine Cisco’s RoomOS software, Samsung’s 105″ 5K displays or u766664K Smart Signage, and Microsoft’s Front Row content layout in Teams Rooms. Together, the solutions aim to deliver seamless video and audio with AI-enhanced capabilities while ensuring all participants have a clear view of presentations and live video regardless of location.

“In today’s era of hybrid work, it is essential that workspaces are reimagined to enable great collaboration,” said Jeetu Patel, EVP and GM of Security & Collaboration at Cisco. “This means outfitting conference rooms with intelligent video systems designed to bring immersive collaboration experiences to all participants, regardless of their location.”

Microsoft and Samsung echoed the collaborative spirit with Microsoft VP Ilya Bukshteyn explaining that “enhanced collaboration experiences that meet the needs of today’s hybrid workforce” are a priority while Samsung’s Hoon Chung said the new displays let “users the feeling they are sitting in the same room as their colleagues.”

The integrated offerings promise immersive views, AI-powered features, simplified deployment and management, increased scalability for enterprises, and seamless interoperability between platforms. Solutions are generally available starting today with specific Cisco 21:9 display support coming in March 2024.

Cisco has been attempting to revitalise stagnant growth recently amidst a shift towards software and subscriptions amongst enterprise tech companies. The new partnerships lean into hybrid work trends dominating post-pandemic planning to deliver premium meeting room experiences that combine software from Microsoft, displays from Samsung and legacy hardware from Cisco itself. While it remains to be seen if the strategy will succeed in reaccelerating revenue growth, the collaboration at least demonstrates Cisco’s willingness to embrace partnerships with new-age tech giants like Microsoft to keep pace with current digital transformation trends.

 

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